


Collection of Short Fics

by DarylWillFightNatureForCarol (Befrie08)



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Multi Season, No ZA, One Shot Collection, Post Series, Romance, Season 1, Season 2, Season 3, Season 8, Season 9, ZA, ratings vary, season 10, season 4, season 5, season 6, season 7
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:20:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27300346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Befrie08/pseuds/DarylWillFightNatureForCarol
Summary: I decided to compile all of my oneshots or shorter fics into a collection. This will have different ratings, themes and settings. There may be multiple chapters for one 'story' but they will be very short. I will continue to add any new one shots etc here. There may be AU with no ZA fics here too.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon & Carol Peletier, Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	1. Carol's Mistake

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy this collection. Feel free to send me prompts if you want something written. 
> 
> This first story 'Carol's Mistake' was one I did when I was only just seriously getting into writing. It's not that great and the storyline and motivations behind characters is kind of off. But I hope you can find some enjoyment out of it.

Carol lay awake staring into the darkness. The only light was the sunlight spilling in through the window of her bedroom. She could hear the soft snores from behind her and the arm around her waist felt like heaven. She felt so conflicted about the whole thing. This had been her idea of course but in the wake of it she realized that it may not have been a smart idea.

She felt him shift behind her and pull her tighter to his chest, his snores continuing, indicating he was still fast asleep. Her eyes closed involuntarily and she shivered remembering the night before. Images flashed before her and she frowned, trying to dislodge them. Her plan had pretty much backfired. Carol should have known that it wouldn’t be as simple as she believed to engage in something like this without there being emotions involved.

It was just that she knew how depressed he had been lately and she had decided that whilst her purpose was murky and unsure, she at least could maybe cheer him up. After finding out that he was into her that way had sent a surge of confidence through her the likes of which she had never felt. She had not given it much thought before cornering him and playing out her seduction. In typical Daryl fashion, he had been skittish at first; slow to catch onto her goal.

She had approached him with what she hoped was a sensual sway of her hips. She had caught the way he scanned her up and down and bit his lip with an unfocused gaze. As she moved closer he backed up until he was against the counter staring down at her with a nervous look. She had brought up one hand to trail her fingers lightly over the collar of his shirt and she watched the movement of his throat as he swallowed.

“What’re you doing?” He rasped.

She gave him a coy smile and brought her hand higher to brush his long hair back from his eyes. He followed the motion with his eyes and she lowered her hand to rest on his chest.

“Do you want me to stop?” She questioned with a smirk. He frowned but shook his head and covered her hand with his. His body was like an inferno trying to burn her up. He still had an unsure look.

“Carol what is this?” He looked as shy as a little boy as he looked down at her all the while stroking her hand. She needed to give him a push. She moved up onto her toes and met his lips with her own. She began slowly and soft allowing him time to pull away if he wanted. Thankfully he deepened the kiss, settling his hand on her hip to pull her closer. She let her hands sink into his ridiculously long hair (He still refused to let her cut it) and softly moaned into his mouth. The kiss continued for a while like that, close mouthed but passionate, before he pulled away. His eyes had darkened and he licked his lips as he gazed at her.

“Carol what—do you want--?” He stumbled over his words, looking incredibly flustered. His cheeks were red as a tomato and his eyes seemed unable to settle on hers.

She made a shushing noise and massaged the back of his neck soothingly. His eyes closed momentarily with a sigh before he looked at her with that same confused look.

“Daryl, do you want me?” She asked, starting to second-guess herself but trying not to show it. He swallowed.

“Yeah.” He answered in a gruff voice. She grinned at that and went back in to kiss him. This time he was surer and grabbed her hips to pull her into him. He groaned in protest when she pulled back but she gave him a placating look as she inclined her head.

“Come on,” she said and she led him by the hand upstairs to her bedroom.

Now she lay wrapped up in Daryl’s arms as he snored peacefully behind her. She didn’t know how this would play out. She hadn’t thought through what the aftermath would be like. Maybe she could slip away quietly and gain herself some more time. She began to move his arm from around her and pull away from him but he made a soft noise and tightened his arm preventing her escape.

“Where are you going?” he murmured sleepily, nuzzling her hair. She couldn’t help but smile. Of course he was cuddler.

“Nowhere. Sleep well?” She asked stupidly not knowing what to say to him. He made an affirming grunt.

“Mmhm. Better than I have in years.” Her heart panged at that and she rubbed his hand comfortingly. Steeling herself, she turned over to face him.

“That’s great.” She smiled her now famous fake smile and he frowned. She tried to turn her head away but he caught her face in his hand, gently turning her back to face him.

“Hey, you okay?” He asked in a concerned tone. His eyes were searching hers.

“I’m fine. I just don’t know where we’re supposed to go from here.” He seemed to think over her words for awhile before he sat up to face her.

“Why did you come to me last night?” He asked in a confused tone. She pursed her lips.

“I wanted to...God, this is going to sound so stupid.” She trailed off, not knowing how to confess the truth. Daryl frowned not understanding where she was going with her words.

“Just tell me.”

She sighed.

“I heard some of the others talking and they mentioned that you were attracted to me, which surprised me because I never would have thought you would be interested in me like that.”

Daryl’s frown deepened.

“Why wouldn’t I be attracted to you?” He asked. Carol let out a disbelieving laugh.

“Because you’re you. You have that rugged thing going for you and there are so many younger, prettier women here to choose from.” Daryl scoffed.

“Rugged. Pfft. You’re crazy woman. You’re better than any of them. You’re beautiful Carol.”

Carol blinked in surprise at the matter of fact tone he used and the seriousness in his gaze. It made her chest ache with joy and pain. She wished she could be with him.

“You’re sweet but I didn’t finish. I came to you because hearing that you felt that way gave me a surge of confidence. I figured that I could use that power I apparently had over you to help make you happier.”

Daryl was hanging onto her every word and she could see the wheels turning.

“To make me happier? Not you?” He asked in a small voice and she had to avoid his gaze.

“I can’t be happy anymore so I figured if I could make you happy, that would be enough.”

The silence was stifling in the room.

“So you didn’t even want this? I knew there was something wrong. Why the hell would you do that?”

Daryl immediately tore himself away from her and began pulling his clothes on. She could feel her eyes watering as she watched. He wouldn’t look at her.

“Daryl, I’m sorry. I know it was stupid.” She tried to apologise. He cut her off as he turned after buttoning his shirt as he stormed to the door.

“You’re right, it was stupid. You didn’t do me no favour Carol. I don’t need your damn pity!”

With that he slammed the door as he left. She couldn’t stop herself from breaking down and sobbing into the mattress.

Once she had pulled herself together and left her house, she tried to hide how crappy she felt. She walked aimlessly through Alexandria. What an idiot she had been! She had definitely ruined Daryl and her relationship forever.

“Carol! Wait up!” She heard someone call behind her and she stopped and turned.

She watched as Rick caught up to her. He looked worried and her stomach clenched. Rick’s worried face always caused her stomach to become full of knots.

“Rick?” She asked in greeting.

“Hey, Have you talked to Daryl?” Rick questioned. Carol’s stomach dropped.

“No, not since this morning, why?” she answered as honestly as she dared. Rick breathed out in frustration.

“Damn it. I figured if anyone would know what’s wrong with him, it would be you.”

“What do you mean, what’s wrong with him?” She asked him worriedly.

“He’s been in a shit mood all morning and when I tried to talk to him, he punched me in the face before storming off. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this angry. Not even when I left Merle on the roof in Atlanta.” Rick said and she noticed the bruise forming around his eyes.

“Sorry about your eye. It’s kinda my fault.”

Rick scoffed.

“How is it your fault? Daryl never gets pissed at you. You get away with so much shit with him that none of us could never do.”

She pressed her lips together guiltily.

“I hurt him badly Rick. It was really stupid.”

Rick sobered instantly as he noted her seriousness.

“Wait, you’re serious. It was really you that pissed him off that much? Carol, What the hell happened?”

“We had sex.” Carol said feeling like she ripped off a bandaid. Rick blinked. He was silent for a moment before a tiny chuckle burst forth.

“Rick this is not funny!”

Rick seemed to try to stop laughing without success. He finally stopped with a small smile.

“Sorry. I know it’s not funny, it’s just we’ve been waiting for you two to get together for so long. What did you do? Tell him he sucked?” Rick asked with a barely concealed smirk.

“No! I told him the truth! I seduced him in an attempt to cheer him up.” She explained, feeling the guilt continue to eat at her.

Rick's face dropped all signs of humour. He looked confused now.

“But you love him.” Rick stated. So Rick knew how she felt about Daryl.

“Of course I do. It’s not that simple though.” She tried to explain.

“Why not? Did you tell him that you love him?” Rick asked.

“No I didn’t tell him.” Carol replied and Rick’s face darkened.

“Carol are you telling me that you told Daryl that you slept with him only to cheer him up?” Rick sounded resigned.

“Well, yes that is basically what I said.”

Rick rubbed his forehead with a sigh.

“No wonder. Carol you’ve made a real mess here.” Rick said stating the obvious.

“I know that Rick. Why do you say ‘No Wonder’?” She asked curious.

“I know why he’s like this now. He’s not angry. He’s heartbroken.” Carol blinked, thinking it through.

“But...” she began but Rick cut her off.

“Think about it. How would you feel if the woman you loved came onto you and you thought you finally had her only to find out the next day that she didn’t love you the same?” Carol’s eyes widened, now realising how Daryl must have felt about her revelation.

“But I do. Love him I mean. Oh god, Rick I fucked up.”

“He got on his bike and left the gates about an hour ago.”

She wasted no time in running to the armoury, grabbing a gun and heading for the gate. Eugene was on shift, pacing aimlessly as she strode up, shouting at him to open the gate. She ignored the man’s inquiring gaze as she exited the gate and headed to one of the cars parked outside.

It didn’t take her long to find her target. She was shocked at the sight that greeted her. Daryl in the middle of a small horde of walkers. Her alarm deepened as she realised he was completely unarmed, fighting them bare handed. She could see his knife still in it’s place on his hip.

She screeched the car to a stop and scrambled out quickly, gun and knife ready. The walkers began to tune into the new interruption, a few breaking off from the group to head her way. As far as she could tell, Daryl had not even noticed her presence yet. She could still see him beating walkers bloody and egging them on.

She easily sank her knife into the heads of the two walkers who approached her first. When more continued coming, she switched to her gun. She fired and took out three, getting closer to Daryl as she went. She could probably take out most of the walkers he was facing. That was her goal first off, eliminate the threat. The rest could wait until they were safe.

She took out the walker he had been beating on at the time and he finally looked up, noticing her. His face twisted into a scowl.

“The hell are you doing? Go home!” He shouted at her as he punched a walker in the jaw, causing said jaw to detach from its head.

She ignored him and shot at another three walkers, narrowing the herd to just five. She watched as he became more aggressive in his attacks on the dead things, her interference clearly angering him.

“Daryl, this is ridiculous! Let’s go!” Carol shouted back above the groans of the walkers. She aimed her gun at another walker. Daryl shouldered one of the walkers away from him to address her again.

“Don’t you get it? I don’t want you here!” he growled at her.

She flinched as the words triggered a memory in her. The farm. Sophia. She blinked and tried to gather herself again. The moment was enough for her guard to be down. She watched confused as Daryl’s face twisted in horror.

“Carol, watch out!” he yelled desperately. She whirled and came face to face with the rotting face of a woman-walker.

She began to raise her gun instinctively but it was too late. The walker was too close already and her gun was sent flying from her hand as the walker toppled her to the ground. She grunted in pain as her back collided with the hard concrete. The walker snapped hungrily at her face as she struggled to push it from her form. She freed one hand to reached down to her knife. Her fingertips continued to brush the hilt of her knife, not reaching enough. She began to accept that this was it.

“Daryl, I’m sorry!” she sobbed out, hopefully audibly enough as her hands began to stop their struggle.

The gunshot caused her heart to jump and she let out a gasp as the dead thing collapsed on top of her. She blinked in surprise that she was still alive. Her senses began to come back to her as the corpse was ripped from her and the form of Daryl standing above her filled her gaze.

He looked frantic and panicked, now holding her dropped gun. His hands sought hers out, pulling her from the ground. She could see his eyes, wide and frenzied, racing over her, head to toe.

“God, Carol, are you okay? Didn’t get ya, did it?” he asked in a desperate tone. She felt his hands begin to brush over her arms, feeling for signs of bites.

“I’m fine Daryl,” Carol vowed as she stepped back from him to catch her breath. She heard him exhale loudly and watched as he bent to rest his hands on his knees. He took a few deep breaths before finally looking at her again.

“What the hell was that Carol? What are you doing here?” he rasped out with an accusing look. She glared back at him.

“What do you think I’m doing? I came to bring you home,” Carol retorted, trying to keep her tone even. She wasn’t here to start a fight. He scoffed and shook his head, straightening.

“You shouldn’t have bothered. I was fine,” he bit out, storming to the tree-line where she now saw his crossbow lying.

“Are you kidding me, Daryl? You were unarmed! Were you trying to get yourself killed?” She snapped at him, still incredulous that he had done such a foolish thing.

“I was having fun, letting off some steam,” he lied with his mouth set grimly.

“No, you were upset, because of what happened. I’m sorry for how that went down,” She started.

He shrugged as if it didn’t matter to him whatsoever.

“Whatever. Don’t matter to me none.”

She approached him purposefully, noting the way his bravado dropped momentarily. She could still see in his eyes the adoration she saw this morning, though she knew he was trying to hide it.

She reached out and held his cheek in her hand.

“Don’t. I know it does and I need to explain properly. I made a mess of things.”

He grunted, looking reluctant still but he did stop attempting to escape her presence.

“I know what you think happened between us, but you’re wrong,” she started and he frowned not understanding what she was getting at.

“You think it didn’t mean anything and that I did it just for your benefit. I admit, some of that is true,” she continued and his face crumpled a little at the admission and he tried to step away from her but she held firm.

“No, Daryl, listen to me. I did do it in an attempt to make you feel better but that doesn’t mean it didn’t mean anything to me. God, you have no idea. It meant everything!” she confessed in a hushed tone and she saw his eyes widened in surprise. He bit his lip as she saw his mind begin to whir.

“I’m sorry I made it seem like I didn’t even want you. That’s not true, not even a bit. I love you, Daryl,” she finally confessed and he swallowed in response. He had gradually began to relax in her hold and now he didn’t look ready to flee at a moment’s notice.

“What was with this morning then,” he asked in a small voice and her heart broke at seeing him so vulnerable. She felt awful for letting her demons affect him like this.

“I’ve been trying to shut myself off, to be emotionless. I thought I’d be able to do that with you. Of course I was wrong. I can’t ever be anything but me with you,” she said with a watery smile. The tension in him was gone now and she watched as he took the hand which held his face in his hand. She melted when his brought her hand to his lips, kissing her gently.

“If you don’t want us to be anything, I understand. I know you’ve been through some shit. But I’m here for you, whatever you need,” Daryl vowed sweetly as he used his unoccupied hand to brush over her cheek. She leant into his touch.

“I just need you,” she promised with a watery smile before she reached up and pressed her lips to his. He sighed out against her mouth in relief as he returned the kiss.


	2. Kamikaze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol decides to take matters into her own hands and head out to the border. She's intent on killing Alpha and no one is going to stop her. Unfortunately, she doesn't count on being followed even though she should. He's always watching her.

She approached the border carefully with hard eyes. Her gaze zeroed in on the pike that stood out firmly in her memory. She blinked furiously and started forward again. She looked to the left and right of the area. There seemed to be no sign of walkers or whisperers but she was not going to be caught off guard.

“Stop!” came a voice from behind her. Carol froze and her shoulders slumped. She steeled herself and turned around.

Daryl stood a few feet away with a concerned look. His crossbow was slung over his shoulder as was customary for him.

“You shouldn’t be here!” she spat at him angrily. He scoffed at her words.

“Neither should you,” he retorted with a pointed glare.

In this moment she felt so angry at him. He wasn’t supposed to follow her. He was going to ruin everything she had been planning. She needed to get him to leave. She stormed over to him.

“Go home!” she ordered with a stern expression. His eyes narrowed as he watched her.

“I ain’t going nowhere unless you come too.”

She made a frustrated noise and took a step back.

“I can’t go back! I need to do this!”

“You don’t.”

She huffed a bitter laugh.

“Easy for you to say. You didn’t have a psychotic bitch cut your son’s head off!” she shouted. She watched as he winced at her tone. His eyes looked sad.

“I know you’re hurtin’ but we need to be smarter about this.”

She shook her head. She took another step back towards the border.

“You be smarter. Go home. Let me do this.” With that, she turned fully and marched forward, intent on her goal once more.

Carol had barely placed her foot over the invisible line when she found herself being pulled backwards. She resisted the grip that was firm but gentle. She tugged at the arms that were around her middle.

“Daryl let go of me!” she growled. She dug her nails into his arms, hearing him grunt.

“Stop!” he urged in a surprisingly soft voice.

It caused her struggle to cease momentarily and she felt his body relax a little. She snapped out of it quickly though and she used the brief calm to push against him again. She succeeded in escaping his grip for about half a second before his hands grabbed her arms. She cried out in frustration and then her stomach dropped. Her foot had caught on a tangle in the grass near one of the pikes and now she was falling to the ground. Unfortunately, Daryl was pulled down with her.

The impact of the ground wasn’t as painful as she expected but Daryl’s weight on the small of her back knocked the wind out of her. She gasped as she tried to catch her breath again. She heard Daryl groan and felt him lift himself from on top of her. With the loss of his form, she managed to take some deep breaths.

A beat passed before she realised her captor was gone and she had the moment she needed to continue her plan. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing Daryl had rolled to the side when he had moved off of her. He wasn’t looking at her at all and she guessed he thought she had given up. Perfect opportunity.

Her legs felt too wobbly to stand yet so she pulled herself across the border on her hands and knees. She tried to keep as quiet as possible so he wouldn’t notice her absence until it was too late and she was able to walk again. She made it about a meter before she heard Daryl cursing behind her.

“Goddamit!” he growled and she could hear him moving after her now.

She tried to get her legs under her to stand up and make a run for it. It was too late. She felt his hand close around her ankle and she tumbled to the soft grass. She kicked out at him blindly but he wouldn’t let go. Her heart felt loud in her ears.

The moment brought back some terrible memories. Ed grabbing her when she tried to get away from him. Him dragging her back over the brash carpet, leaving carpet burn on her arms. Then pinning her to the floor and tearing her clothes from her. Her fingers curled into the earth beneath her in the present moment.

The only thing that stopped her from panicking wildly was the memory that this was Daryl. He would never do something like that to her. Her mind and body were absolutely sure of that. What he was doing was hindering her damned plans.

She made to kick back at him again but he had gained some momentum while she had been lost in thought. Both of his hands wrapped around her thighs and he used the grip to flip her over. She felt the soft ground beneath her back as the night sky appeared above her.

She breathed deeply in and out, feeling exhaustion taking over. She was expending energy she didn’t have.

Her view changed soon as Daryl loomed over her. He looked out of breath now too. This knowledge reignited the fire in her and she brought her arms up, ready to shove him backwards. Her attempt was intercepted before she could even try. He gripped her wrists and brought them down with his beside her head.

“I said stop!” Daryl shouted at her, still panting heavily. If she hadn’t known him as well as she did she might have been afraid. He looked furious and his strength easily overpowered her. She pushed uselessly against his hands, feeling her wrists ache.

“I can’t!” she cried hysterically, feeling tears burning her eyes. His gaze softened and he looked more like her Daryl. The gentle soul who had brought comfort to a mother without hope. She took a hiccuping breath. “Why can’t you just let me go?” she asked brokenly.

“Because I can’t lose you,” he replied in a soft voice that was nothing like his usual gravelly tone. His eyes had begun to tear up and her heart clenched at the sight. She was hurting him.

She had been so selfish with her revenge scheme. The only thing that she had been able to focus on was killing Alpha. She hadn’t let anything else matter to her. Daryl had become collateral damage so to speak and it was her fault.

“Daryl,” she choked as her throat became tight.

His eyes were pained as he continued to stare down at her. She relaxed every muscle in her body. The fight had left her completely now. She saw the moment he realized her surrender. His eyes flickered over her form and she felt his grip loosen on her wrists.

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed regretfully. The dam inside her had a huge hole in it and it was about to start flooding out. Daryl let go of her wrists and he sighed. He backed away from her and sat back on his legs.

She missed his presence immediately. She didn’t have to miss it for long as he tugged her up and towards him. She fell against him without protest, burying her head into his neck. She felt his hand stroke the back of her head.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered again. She let herself sink into his familiar presence and scent. Her tears seemed never ending and it felt like she wasn’t just crying for Henry. She cried for Sophia, for Lizzie and Mica, and even for herself. For that woman she had lost all those years ago in an unlikely home of a prison.

“It’s okay. It’s okay,” Daryl murmured into her ear over and over. His fingers continued to massage into her curls that had become loose in the scuffle.


	3. Not Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol gets bit while out with Daryl and the group in the woods. Daryl is desperate to save her.  
> Based on mothercherokee's fanart. This is the revised version of this one shot.

Carol cried out in pain as she toppled to the ground. She stabbed the walker in the head before dropping her knife. She moved her hands to her leg. 

“Carol!” Daryl yelled, his chest constricting. 

He took out the walker in front of him and ran to her side. When he reached her, he dropped to the ground. He stared at her hands where they held onto her calf. They were bloody. At his urging, she shifted them so he could see. The teeth marks were obvious amongst the blood. 

“No,” he gasped. 

This couldn’t be happening, Daryl thought. Not her! 

“Daryl,” she whimpered.

Daryl looked away from the bite to meet her eyes. There were tears brimming in them.

“I’m sorry,” she said, as if it was her fault. 

He shook his head. 

No, he thought. He wasn't going to lose her. It was just a leg. It didn't have to mean death. 

He quickly set to unbuckling his belt, unattaching his knives as he did, and pulling it free. He could cut off the spread of infection just like they'd done with Hershel. 

“Daryl, it won’t work,” Carol said, predicting his intentions. 

“Don’t talk,” he growled at her. He hadn't meant for the words to come out as harsh as they did but he was panicking. 

Daryl looped the belt around her leg and tightened it above the bite. She grit her teeth, her fingers curling into the dirt. He felt a pang at her pain but he didn't let himself linger on it. He needed to focus on what needed to be done. Time was of essence. 

“Oh my god,” he heard Michonne gasp. 

Daryl hadn't noticed her approach. He glanced away from his task to look at her. She stood there with her sword hanging from her hand limply. She was staring at the bite in Carol's leg. Her eyes were wide and her mouth gaped open. 

“You gotta cut here,” he instructed her, hearing his own voice break. 

Michonne sighed, her expression softening with sadness. 

“Daryl...” she trailed off. 

Daryl could already hear the defeat in her tone and it only served to make his panic worse. 

“Come on!” he shouted at her. 

“She won’t make it,” Michonne reasoned slowly. 

Daryl narrowed his eyes at her. 

“What?” he spat. 

Michonne closed her eyes, breathing deeply. When she opened them, a few tears spilled over. 

“We’re too far away from help. She’ll bleed out before we even make it a quarter of the way.” 

Daryl knew she was right. Of course he knew that. But he couldn’t give up. There was no way he was losing Carol. No way. 

“We gotta try!” he cried, feeling helpless. 

He glanced down at Carol who was still crying silently. He met her eyes and she shook her head at him. 

“We don’t even have bandages or anything like it to staunch the blood!” Michonne argued. 

Daryl consider the truth of Michonne's statement. They had very little supplies with them other than their weapons. He shook his head. If they didn''t have supplies then they'd make some. It wouldn't be anything as good as sterile bandages but it would be better than nothing. 

Daryl tore his vest off and tossed it aside quickly. His fingers grappled with the buttons on his shirt. He managed to get them undone part of the way down but his hands were shaking too much. He gave up and tugged the shirt over his head. 

“Daryl!” Carol gasped. 

He paused in his task of tearing his shirt into strips to look down at her. Her eyes were wide, disbelief clear in them. She knew the weight he carried on his back better than most. She was one of the few people still alive that had seen his scars. And she knew how much he hated people seeing them. 

Right now though, It didn’t matter to him. He knew the group was close by and they would be able to see everything. But he could live with being embarrassed about people seeing his shame. He couldn’t live with losing her. 

Daryl looked back to Michonne expectantly. Her eyes snapped back to his. She had been staring at his back, aghast, never having seen him fully without his shirt before. She looked at him with new understanding before turning to the group. 

“Bring me your jackets, shirts, anything you can spare!” she barked to them.

The group all set about stripping off what they could. The clothing piled up beside Carol on the ground and Daryl felt his hope renew. He leaned down to Carol, cupping her face, making her look at him.

“Hey, you’re gonna be fine, okay?” he tried to reassure her. 

“Daryl…”she tried but he shook his head. 

“Please!" he begged her, not caring that there were tears streaming from his eyes. "I need you to try!” 

Carol gave him a sad smile before she nodded. 

“You ready?” he asked Michonne. 

She levelled the blade above the wound, giving him a nod. 

“On your count,” she said. Her cheeks were still wet from the tears she'd shed. 

Daryl pulled back from Carol. He regarded her for a moment. 

God, this is gonna hurt her so bad! he realised with a pang of guilt. 

“I’m sorry,” he murmured to her. 

She just nodded at him and smiled, though it was strained. 

“Alright," he said, trying to gather the strength he needed. He held a shirt in one hand, ready to staunch the blood when the cut was made. 

"One,” he counted, his heart beating so loud in his head. 

Carol reached out and took his free hand. She squeezed it tightly. 

“Two,” his voice croaked.

“Three." 

The word was out of his mouth and Michonne’s sword was coming down to meet its mark. 

“Wait!” someone shouted. 

Michonne froze, her sword stopping its downward strike. It was testament to her reflexes that she managed to halt its progress so quickly. Daryl bristled impatiently. The longer they took, the less likely this was to work. 

“We don’t got fucking time!” he growled at whoever had spoken.

“No, no, no, this is important. You need to see this!” they said. 

Michonne frowned. She glanced down at Daryl and Carol before she moved. She marched over to where the person, whom Daryl still hadn’t identified, had called from. He watched her go, feeling his hope dying. 

“Michonne!” he screamed at her. She spared him a backward glance but kept going. 

He needed to find another weapon. His knives would be useless cutting through her leg. He’d probably do more damage than good with those. He tried to get up but his hand was tugged. 

“Please don’t leave me,” Carol begged. 

Daryl softened and resettled beside her. He couldn’t leave her alone. Not when she looked so scared. He squeezed her hand. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” he promised her. 

Carol smiled, squeezing his hand back. 

“Daryl!” Michonne cried. 

Daryl looked over and his heart stopped. Michonne held something in her hand. A mask. His mind reeled and he blinked, wondering if he imagined it. But there it was, still clutched in Michonne’s hand. Her mouth was spread in a grin. 

A whisperer, not a walker. 

“Oh, god!” Daryl sobbed, barely recognising the sound. 

He dropped his head to Carol's chest. He could smell the vanilla scented soap she used. A few tears slipped from his eyes. He'd been so sure he was going to lose her. 

“What is it?” he heard her voice ask.

Daryl lifted his head to stare down at her. He took her in as if it was the first time, studying her pale skin and her deep eyes. Things he'd dreaded he would lose only moment ago. He laughed and even to his ears, it sounded a little hysterical. He tugged her up from the ground against him. She squeaked but didn’t protest. She settled her hands over his back, rubbing gently. He felt her fingers brush over the raised bits of skin of his scars and he shivered. He held her tighter, burying his face in her neck. 

“Daryl?” she questioned. 

Carol sounded concerned. Of course she would be concerned for him when she thought she might be dying. He huffed another laugh against her and pulled back.

“You’re alright!” he grinned at her as he spoke. His face hurt a little from it. It wasn't something he did too often. Hardly ever, in fact. 

She frowned, not understanding. 

“What?” 

“It was a whisperer not a walker!” he explained, still not believing how lucky they were. Her mouth hung open in surprise. 

“A Whisperer?” she asked sounding unsure. He nodded eagerly. 

“Luke saw the stitching when he was about to take his shirt off,” came a voice to their lef. 

Both he and Carol jumped at the unexpected intrusion. Daryl turned to the source. Michonne stood there holding the mask still. She was grinning. Carol let out a half sob, half laugh and pulled Daryl back into her arms again. He smiled into her hair. 

“Ow!” Carol cried then as she shifted. Daryl pulled away from her to look down at her leg. 

“Right, you’re still hurt,” he muttered sheepishly. He’d been so distracted by the momentous news that she wasn’t going to die. 

“Here. We can bind it with this,” Carol said as she shrugged off her shirt. She had on a tank top underneath. She handed her shirt to Daryl. 

“You’ll get cold,” he pointed out stupidly. She smirked at him. 

“I’ll live.” 

Daryl scoffed but set about tearing her shirt and binding her leg. She winced every now and then but kept quiet. He couldn't help glancing at her while he worked the bandage around her leg. In this moment she looked more beautiful than he could remember her being. Even with the remnants of tears lingering on her face. He smiled again. She was going to be okay. 

When he was done seeing to her leg, he finally noticed the breeze blowing on his bare skin. He blushed. He'd forgotten he was still shirtless. He grabbed his shirt from the pile of clothes they had made and pulled it on, hiding his face as he did. He redonned his vest over the top. 

Carol took his hand when he offered it to her and he pulled her to her feet. The blood loss made her a bit woozy so she wobbled a little making him keep a hold of her arm. He urged her to lean on him and let him take her weight. She did so without hesitation. He watched the rest of the group head off towards home. 

“I gotta say, if I knew it would get you to take off your shirt, I would have got bitten a long time ago,” Carol quipped in a tired voice. 

“Stop,” he groaned at her. Only she could joke about something like this. 

She giggled, leaning her body closer to him. 


	4. What If Daryl Fell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a little one shot/drabble I never posted back when Season 9 first aired. It's an alternate version of the scene where Ezekiel falls through the glass floor in the museum. This is what I believe would have happened if Daryl had fallen too.

They trekked across the flimsy surface of the glass carefully, trying to stick to the metal beams. There were tiny cracks beginning to snake across the glass as Ezekiel and Daryl made their way briskly. The two men shared a glance as they both noticed the damage to the glass and they nodded, knowing they must be careful.

It was no use though as there came a crash as the panels began to give way. Ezekiel dropped first with a startled cry and then Daryl fell soon after. The walkers below began to snarl and converge excitedly in response to the new opportunity for a meal. With luck, Daryl and Ezekiel had not fallen completely through to the floor. They both hung precariously on the metal framing of the floor. There were hands from above and below grabbing at them.

From above, Rick and Carol were scrambling to tug them up. Rick was pulling on Ezekiel’s arm, avoiding the dead hands that attempted to tear into anything they could reach. Carol held desperately to Daryl’s hand, looking frantic.

“Daryl, hold on!” she cried out as she tried with all her strength to get him back above the walkers. Daryl kicked at the walkers pawing at his legs and tried getting momentum to swing himself upward. Unbeknownst to Carol, Ezekiel had just been dragged up to safety by Rick. Rick came to Carol’s side and reached out, gripping Daryl’s arm and hoisted him back onto the platform.

Rick stumbled back, exhausted from the effort and moved to lean on the pillar. Carol helped Daryl back to his feet.

“Oh my god, are you alright?” Carol cried desperately as she looked him over. “They didn’t…you’re not…” Carol stuttered.

Daryl shook his head.

“Nah, I’m fine,” he confirmed and Carol let out the breath she was holding. She threw her arms around his shoulders and buried her face into his chest. Daryl closed his arms around her and stroked her back comfortingly.

“God, I thought I lost you!” Carol breathed as she inhaled his scent.

“Can’t get rid of me that easy,” Daryl joked and Carol hit him on the chest gently.

“Don’t joke, I was really scared!” Carol admonished, returning her head to his chest, finding comfort in his heartbeat.

“Sorry.”

Daryl looked around, realising they had an audience. He blushed a little, not enjoying people seeing this affection bestowed upon him. He also noticed the king looking a little hurt near the staircase. He was watching Carol intently. Daryl reluctantly pushed Carol back and she looked up at him.

“Hey, you should go check on the king.”

At the mention of her lover, Carol’s head immediately snapped around to look at him. The king was still staring at her and Carol bit her lip, looking away. She stepped away from Daryl and walked over to Ezekiel.

“Are you…” she started and he smiled at her but it was strained.

“I’m okay. We should get moving,” he instructed not waiting for an answer before walking away.

Carol stood watching after him. Rick cleared his throat awkwardly before following after Ezekiel. Carol seemed frozen in place with a far away look and Daryl moved over to her. When he reached her, she lifted her head. He put his hand on her shoulder.

“Come on,” he said softly and Carol sighed and fell into step beside him.


	5. Haircut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl is ready to head out on the road. All he needs is for Carol to be ready. However, when he goes up to her room to see if she is, he's surprised by what he finds.
> 
> Oneshot of what I hope could happen before the spin off.
> 
> This is basically pure fluff.

Daryl walked up the stairs to Carol’s room and knocked on the door a few times. He had just finished loading the supplies into the bike. They were only taking the bare necessities. There wasn’t much room on the bike anyway and they were more than capable of hunting and foraging for whatever they needed.

“You ready?” he called. He wasn’t in any hurry but he couldn’t deny he was a little excited about finally leaving.

It had been a joke at first. To run away to New Mexico. That day in the forest when he had suggested it, he hadn’t been entirely serious. But then the idea became more and more tempting. In the moments after the Whisperer war, Daryl had hoped Carol would agree to it. He had accepted her rejection though. She had not been ready and they still had things to do.

Now, it had been six months since the war and a few weeks ago, Carol had told him she was finally ready. So, they’d started preparing to head out on the road. They had already said goodbye to everyone and while their people were sad to see them go, they’d been pretty understanding about their decision.

Surprisingly, even Negan had been a little emotional about the news of their departure. He had even cornered Daryl one day and assured him that he would keep an eye on Lydia, Judith and the other kids. As much as Daryl would never be able to forgive the man his actions from the past, he had accepted the declaration with a nod and a ‘Thank you’.

So, today was the day. They were finally leaving. All he needed now was for Carol to be ready and then they could get the hell out of here.

“I won’t be long,” he heard her call from somewhere in the room. “Come in.”

Daryl opened the door and stepped inside. He didn’t see Carol so his eyes immediately went to the bathroom. The door was open and Carol stood in front of the mirror with a pair of scissors in her hands. He blinked as he noticed her long grey curls were gone. Her hair was short now. It almost looked the way it had years ago, when they had first arrived at Alexandria. He watched her snip at it some more, eyes focused on her task. She set the scissors down and ran her hands through her hair a few times. She tilted her head as she examined her reflection before giving a subtle nod.

Daryl just watched her, still a little shocked. To be honest, inside he was panicking a bit. She had grown her hair out because she felt safe, that was what Henry had told him. If she was cutting it now, what did  
that mean?

The questions spiraled in his mind as Carol finally turned around to look at him. She looked him up and down and her brow furrowed. She cocked her head to the side and left the bathroom, moving towards him.

“Are you okay?” she asked in concern.

Daryl jumped at her voice, so lost in his thoughts he was. He swallowed heavily and nodded while chewing his lip.

“I’m good,” he replied in a croaky voice.  
He couldn’t help his eyes flitting back to look at her newly short style. It honestly made him feel a little nostalgic. Carol brought a hand up and touched her hair absently. She gave him a nervous look.

“What’s wrong? You don’t like it?” she asked as if she thought he cared how she decided to have her hair.

"It ain't that,” he hastened to say. “I like it just fine. Just worried about why you cut it," he admitted cautiously.

Carol frowned as if his words didn’t make sense.

"Well, I’ve been meaning to do it for awhile,” she said. “It's really not practical. Too easy for walkers to grab it. If we're heading out on our own, we need to make smart choices."

Daryl blinked after she had spoken. That… Made sense. Maybe he had just blown things out of proportion. Maybe she really had just cut it for the practicality.

"Why did you think I cut it?" she asked with confusion in her eyes.

Daryl chewed his lip and looked down. Great, now he had to make things weird by bringing up dark shit from her past. He didn’t like walking on eggshells around her but he, admittedly, had avoided certain subjects in the fear it would send her spiraling back into her depression.

"Henry," Daryl started but paused, already panicking as the name was spoken aloud.

He eyed her carefully, looking for signs that he had fucked up. He didn’t want to hurt her by mentioning her boy. She had managed to open up a little about him in the past few months but he knew it still hurt her. She sucked in a breath but after a moment, she nodded for him to go on. He sighed in relief.

"He told me the reason you kept your hair short. He overheard you and the king talking one night. Heard you tell him that you cut it so Ed couldn’t grab you and then, ‘cause you finally felt safe, you let it grow.”

Carol looked surprised by his words. He saw that she was thinking hard so he kept going.

"I thought you cut it ‘cause maybe you ain't feeling safe no more," he confessed quietly.

He had been working with her in these last few months, helping her heal from everything that had happened over the years. She’d told him all about how she had felt after losing Sophia. She’d told him how she felt about her decision to kill Karen and David at the prison. She’d told him the horrific tale of what happened to the two little girls she had taken charge of. She’d told him about the spiraling guilt she had sunk into after realizing how many people she’d killed. Through it all, he’d listened and offered comments when he felt he needed to. He’d held her when it got too much and whispered assurances against her hair that none of it made him think any less of her. And with every moment they spent finally talking about things, Carol started to seem lighter and more herself. So, to see her cutting all her hair off had caused him to think the worst.

Carol shook her head, giving him a sad smile. She moved closer to stand a few feet away from him. She didn’t look upset by his confession, so that was a good sign.

"I think, in this world, there’s different kinds of safe,” she started with a thoughtful look. “We’re never really safe, not from the dead or people.”

Daryl listened to her speak, not entirely sure where she was going with this but happy to listen anyway. As much as he didn’t like to acknowledge the truth of her words, he knew she was right. It was impossible to be completely safe in this world.

“But that other kind of safe? The one you and me only found after the world ended?” she continued, giving him a meaningful look. “I still feel that. I haven’t lost that."

Daryl breathed out heavily in relief. He knew what she was talking about when she said ‘The one you and me only found after the world ended’. In some ways, the end of the world had been a blessing for the both of them. Her husband had died, finally allowing her freedom. Similarly, Daryl’s father had been killed, offering him that same freedom. As awful as this world had been to them at times, they had both come from somewhere far worse.

"Good,” Daryl finally said. “That's... That's real good to hear."

He felt awkward and ridiculous now for the almost panic attack he’d had over her doing something as simple as cutting her hair. He just couldn’t help worrying for her. She had been the only constant in his life for going on ten years and he needed her to feel that safety she spoke of. Carol looked him over intently and he shifted under her attention.

“What?” he asked.

He caught the beginnings of a smirk on her face.

"You know, you could do with a cut yourself,” she said in a teasing voice.

Daryl shifted again. He hadn’t cut his hair or had his hair cut in years. Before the world ended, he used to keep it short so it didn’t hinder him while hunting. After the world ended, he’d just learned to deal with it. No way was he going to ask someone to do it for him even though he knew that they would have. Then, after the prison fell, he started to like the long greasy hair. It shielded his face and he was able to hide behind it. Carol raised her brows, still waiting for a reply he had neglected to give.

"It's only practical," she said in a sing song voice, breaking some of the tension.

Daryl snorted and looked down for a moment before looking back at her again. ‘Why not?’ he thought. Like she said, it was only practical. They were heading out into who knows what on the road and they needed to be as practical as they could be. It was no use holding onto this stupid security blanket. He needed to grow a pair and get over it.

"Alright,” he conceded. He bit his lip. “Can you do it?" he asked shyly.

Carol smiled softly. She held out a hand to him and he didn’t hesitate to take it. She led him to the bed and made him sit down on the edge. She let go of his hand to go to the bathroom. She returned with the scissors and came to stand in front of him, her knees brushing his. He looked up at her from his place and waited. He glanced at the scissors warily. Carol gave him an amused look and he found he was grateful for her constant teasing in this moment. It helped him to focus on something other than his anxiety.

"You sure you're ready to part with it?" she asked with a smirk.

Daryl scoffed and gave her a mock glare. Carol snickered but brought the scissors up. She started cutting off large sections of hair. He watched as the dark strands fell on the floor around them. He was a little alarmed by how much hair she was taking off. The little piles of brown were growing at both of their feet. Already his head was feeling lighter as the weight from all the hair disappeared.

Carol stepped back after a long while of cutting and scrutinized him. She brought her hand out and started gently pulling at strands of his hair, measuring it, he realized. Soon, she smiled, looking satisfied with her work. She stroked a hand through his hair affectionately. He shivered at the all too pleasant sensation.

"You mean to tell me, you were hiding that adorable face under there all this time?" she teased with bright eyes.

Daryl blushed and ducked his head.

"Stop," he mumbled in embarrassment, lifting his head again.

Carol chuckled at his familiar response as she took a step back. She looked down at the hair on the floor and frowned.

“It’s like I’ve sheared a sheep!” she exclaimed with a chuckle. She shook her head, still looking amused. “Go look in the mirror and I’ll clean this up.”

Daryl obediently stood and moved to the bathroom. He hesitated looking in the mirror. It wasn't that he cared what he looked like really. He had just spent a long time hiding behind that mane of oily mess. He shook his head at himself before looking at his reflection. He squinted at himself.

For a moment, he didn't even recognize the person there. But then he realized that was indeed him. His hair was short but Carol hadn’t taken off nearly as much of the length as he’d thought. It wasn’t cropped close to his head at least. There was still a tiny bit of length to it, longer than he used to keep it before the world ended. He ran a hand through it, dislodging some loose bits that fell in the sink. He decided Carol had done a good job. He liked it.

As if on cue, Carol moved into the doorway of the bathroom. She held in her hand a small trash bag that he assumed contained the remnants of his hair.

"What do you think?" she asked and he could see the nerves in her eyes. She seemed worried that he might not like it.

"It's good,” he told her, giving her a small smile to reinforce it. “Thanks."

Carol smiled, looking relieved.

“You’re welcome,” she replied as she moved to the trashcan in the bathroom and tossed the little bag in.

Daryl turned on the faucet and washed the bits of hair down the sink. He turned the water off again and turned to face Carol once more.

“So,” Carol said as she looked at him.

“So,” he repeated, crossing his arms, waiting for whatever she was going to say.

Carol’s mouth twitched and her eyes shone with mirth again. Daryl prepared himself for whatever teasing she was about to inflict on him this time.

“You ready to run away?”

The anticipation in his guts uncoiled and he smiled wider than he had in a long time. Instead of answering her, he gave an enthusiastic nod.

He was rewarded with a wide grin in reply.


	6. Incentive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set after A Certain Doom.
> 
> Lydia tells Daryl he should give Carol some incentive to live after telling him how Carol had almost jumped.
> 
> Snippet:
> 
> “I think you need to give her something to live for.”
> 
> Daryl furrowed his brow.
> 
> “What could I give her that would make her want to live?”
> 
> Lydia watched him silently for a moment.
> 
> “You could tell her that you’re in love with her,” she suggested quietly.
> 
> Daryl’s eyebrows shot up.
> 
> “What?” he asked, squinting at her. Where the hell had that come from?
> 
> Lydia sighed. She hugged her middle.
> 
> “I might have grown up with a psycho for a mother but even I see the way you look at her. You love her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a little idea I had. I don't know if they're going to address Carol's almost suicide attempt. Probably not with their track record. So here's my little shippy take on what might happen there. I honestly believe Lydia would tell Daryl though.
> 
> Hope you like it even though it's pretty short.

The group returned to Alexandria mostly in silence. No one had really been able to appreciate the fact that the Whispers were gone. They were too exhausted. Tomorrow would be the time to plan the steps it would take to rebuild and move on.

Daryl led the way to the house, Lydia following behind him quietly. He held the door open for her to pass through before he closed it. He started towards the stairs that would take him to his basement.

"Daryl?" Lydia called out.

He paused and turned to look at her. She was wringing her hands, with a look of uncertainty. He took a few steps in her direction in concern.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I... I need to talk to you," she said hesitantly.

Daryl squinted at her.

"You okay?"

He looked her up and down, checking for any sign she might not be. He hadn’t had much chance to talk to her since the battle at Hilltop. She didn’t seem injured apart from her ankle.

"I'm fine,” she reassured him. “It's... It's not about me. It's about Carol," she admitted quietly.

His stomach jumped at the mention of Carol's name. He still felt foolish for the eager way he had presented the idea of New Mexico to her again. She had turned him down and he'd tried his best to hide his disappointment.

He loved and cared about the people in the communities but the walls closed in on him too much at times. He was itching to get out on the road but he knew couldn't leave without her. He focused back on Lydia, feeling the twisting in his stomach. News about Carol lately could almost give him an aneurism.

"What is it?" he asked with trepidation.

Lydia bit her lip.

"When we were out there with the horde, She..." she broke off, giving him a stricken look.

"She what?" he coaxed, feeling his panic start to skyrocket.

Lydia's eyes teared up a little. She blinked rapidly.

"She was going to jump too," she said in a rush.

"What?" Daryl asked, the word coming out louder and harsher than he intended.

"I pulled her back," Lydia said quickly. She looked down before continuing. "But, I think she was really going to do it. Go over the edge with the horde."

Daryl looked down. It was everything he had feared. She had wanted to kill herself. Opt out. He had known it was a bad idea to let her go out there. But she had been so adamant in going with Lydia and he had fooled himself into thinking that, with the Whisperers gone, she would be less inclined to do something stupid.

"I'm sorry," Lydia said next, the sympathy was clear on her face. "I didn't want to upset you but I thought you should know."

Daryl looked back up. He made an attempt at a smile for her. He probably failed, but he wanted to reassure her that he wasn’t upset with her for telling him. She didn’t need to be weighed down by anything else. The poor kid had suffered far too much in her young life.

"It's okay. Thanks for tellin' me.”

Lydia nodded. He expected her to go off to her room but she stood there, watching him silently.

"Somethin' else?" he questioned, not sure if he could handle anything on top of what he’d already heard.

Lydia looked down at her hands, fiddling with them a little.

"I know it's none of my business,” Lydia hedged. “But I think she needs your help.”

Daryl chewed his lip.

"I've tried," he responded, a little surprised that he had said it aloud. "She don't want it."

Lydia probably wasn’t the person he should be unloading this on but he hadn’t been able to stop the words from coming out. He had been holding the feelings of frustration and inadequacy inside for so long.

"I think you should try again,” Lydia told him. “It might be different this time."

She gave him a small smile before turning, most likely to head to her room. At the last minute though, she paused. She turned back to him. Her smile had dropped and she was eyeing him warily.

“What?” he asked, confused by her abrupt change in demeanour.

Lydia worried her lip with her teeth.

“I think you need to give her something to live for.”

Daryl furrowed his brow.

“What could I give her that would make her want to live?”

Lydia watched him silently for a moment.

“You could tell her that you’re in love with her,” she suggested quietly.

Daryl’s eyebrows shot up.

“What?” he asked, squinting at her. Where the hell had that come from?

Lydia sighed. She hugged her middle.

“I might have grown up with a psycho for a mother but even I see the way you look at her. You love her.”

Daryl sighed and looked away. He had no idea how Lydia had seen through him. He had always tried his damndest to keep his feelings for Carol to himself. There hadn’t been a point in revealing them because it didn’t matter. She wasn’t ever going to feel the same. Apparently Lydia was more observant than he had thought. That or he was just shit at covering his feelings.

“She don’t feel the same,” he replied. He grimaced at how miserable he sounded as he said it.

“Have you ever asked her?” she asked curiously.

“Of course not,” Daryl said with a scoff. “I just know.”

Lydia sighed as if he exasperated her. She shook her head.

“Look, it doesn’t matter if she does or doesn’t feel the same,” she said matter-of-factly. “The point is, if you tell her how you feel, there’s no way she’ll try to hurt herself.”

Daryl bit his lip as he considered her words.

“How can you be so sure?”

Lydia smiled sadly.

“Because I know she loves you. I’m not saying it’s in that way,” she quickly adds. “But she loves you. And she would never do something that would hurt you that much.”

Daryl considered her words. Could it really be that easy?

“You really think that if I told her, that would be enough?”

Lydia nodded.

“I do.”

He chewed his lip.

“What if you’re wrong? What if… What if she just laughs in my face?” Daryl asked, feeling like a kid in that moment. His cheeks must be so red.

Lydia’s lips twitched.

“Has Carol ever laughed at you?”

Daryl snorted.

“All the damned time.”

Lydia gave him a look.

“I mean really laughed. Like making fun of you.”

Daryl inclined his head.

“No,” he admitted. “Never.”

Lydia smiled properly this time.

“You see? She’s not going to laugh at you,” she said with confidence. She reached her hand out and patted him on the shoulder lightly. “Just think about it.”

Daryl gave her a nod and watched her head off to her bedroom. He heard the door open and close. He thought about Lydia’s words. Could exposing his feelings really ensure Carol would stop trying to get herself killed? If he did, he would be opening himself up for a lot of embarrassment. But if it worked, he would be able to rest easy, knowing she was safe.

With trepidation, he climbed the stairs. Part of him wanted to turn around and lock himself in his room instead. But he had to be willing to make a fool of himself. He didn’t trust that she wouldn’t try something else and this was the only plan he had. It was probably not going to work but what else could he do? He knocked on the door a few times. There was no reply.

Daryl’s heart started pounding. Carol had gone off alone as soon as they got inside the gate. He'd let her go, thinking she might need time to herself. Now, he was regretting that decision.

What if she tried something else? What if she's already dying in there?

He moved to bust the door down when he heard footsteps. He blew out a breath in relief. The door swung open to reveal Carol. She blinked, looking surprised to see him but she soon gave him a weak smile.

"Hey," she said hesitantly.

Daryl stared at her. He couldn't even manage to return the greeting. He was too worked up after hearing that she was going to kill herself.

"We gotta talk," he said gruffly. He pushed past her into the room without any preamble.

"Okay...?" she replied, moving back to let him pass. She sounded confused.

Daryl watched as she shut the door. He started to pace in the middle of the room, trying to figure out what to say and how to say it. He glanced up at her every now and then but she just stood there, waiting patiently.

"Is everything… Are you okay?" she asked, breaking the quiet. He could see the worry in her eyes.

Daryl huffed and paused. He turned to her fully.

“No, I ain’t okay,” he said, his words coming out as a growl. “I know what you were gonna do."

Carol frowned. He saw how she had flinched at his harsh tone. He did feel bad for it but he couldn’t help how worked up he was.

"What?"

"Lydia. She told me," he said.

"Told you? What did she tell you?"

But Daryl could see the look in her eyes. She already suspected what Lydia had told him.

"She told me how you were about to throw yourself off that cliff with the horde."

Carol sighed and hung her head.

“She… She didn’t have to tell you that.”

Daryl huffed.

“ ‘Course she told me. She was worried.”

Carol sighed again.

“I don’t know what to say. I don’t have any explanation for you, Daryl.”

Daryl softened a little.

“I don’t need an explanation. I just need you to promise me you ain’t gonna try somethin’ like that again.”

“I want to. I want to tell you that I won’t but I don’t think I can. I just keep thinking that maybe it would be better.”

Daryl made a noise of dismay.

“There’s no way in hell that would be better.”

“If it wasn’t for me, Connie—“

Daryl scoffed at the mention of his friend.

“Not this again,” he muttered.

Carol frowned.

"It's my fault she's dead!" she insisted.

"But that ain't why you're sayin' it, is it?" Daryl retorted with a knowing look.

Carol pursed her lips.

"I took her away from you. I ruined your chance and... “ she said.

Daryl rolled his eyes, unable to help the action.

“What?" she said breaking off her tirade, looking annoyed.

"I told you that it wasn't like that!" Daryl says, feeling frustration building in him. His voice bordered on yelling.

Why the hell was it so hard for her to believe him? Connie had been a good friend and that was all there was to it. He didn’t understand why she kept pushing this shit. It was like she wanted it to be true. Carol sighed.

"But it could have been. I took that chance away."

Daryl sighed, looking away then back at her.

"There weren’t no chance. None at all,” he reiterated. “I meant it. It wasn't like that. She was a friend. That's all. And it sucks that she's gone. But her death was not your fault and my life ain't ruined ‘cause she's dead."

Carol listened intently, looking to be hanging onto his every word. Her eyes were wide and slightly tearful.

"But if you had jumped?” Daryl continued, giving her a meaningful look. He shook his head. “I don't know how I would have gone on. That would have ruined me.”

Carol’s breath caught and a tiny noise escaped her. Daryl closed the distance between them and left only a few inches separating them.

“You’re looking for a reason to stay?” he challenged. “Well, do it for me. ‘Cause I can't lose you. I know you and I know you don't want to hurt me.”

Daryl took a breath, knowing this was it. He needed to say the words.

“So here it is: I love you,” he confessed, staring into her eyes. He saw them widen fractionally and her mouth gaped open. “And you would never take something away from me that I love, would you?" he asked, feeling odd using his feelings as manipulation.

"You… “she sucked in a breath before continuing. “You love me?" her voice was small and hardly more than a whisper.

Daryl nodded without hesitation. He could feel the way his stomach knotted as his anxiety amped up. But there was no turning back now. He had to see this through, no matter what her response was.

"In... In what way?" Carol asked shakily as she continued to stare at him.

Daryl shrugged.

"Hell, in every way,” Daryl told her honestly. “You couldn't understand why not Connie, well there it is. That's why."

As panicked as he was inside, it felt good to finally relieve the burden of his feelings. He had wanted to tell her the same thing in the woods that day when she had interrogated him. It was only his fear that had held the words back. Carol swallowed heavily. Her eyes bored into his.

"And you're not just saying this to keep me from killing myself," she asked.

Daryl blew out a breath before scoffing.

"Of course, I'm saying this to stop you from killing yourself,” he replied. “I never would have said nothing otherwise.”

It’s true. If Lydia hadn’t suggested he do this, he would have kept his feelings to himself for the rest of his life.

“ It's selfish, I know,” he continued, still feeling guilty for using his feelings against her. “But I know you and you'd never hurt me like that, knowing how I feel."

As confident as he sounded, he hoped he was right. He wanted to believe that Carol cared about him that much. That her care for him and his feelings would be enough for her to not want to hurt him that way. Part of him was still unsure.

Carol let out a sob but it seemed like she was laughing a little. He frowned at the sudden change. She moved closer to him, eliminating the tiny distance and placed her hands on his shoulders. She wanted to hug him, Daryl realized. That was fine with him, so he waited to accept it. Hell, with how stressed he had been, he could certainly use one himself. However, instead of the familiar gesture, she leaned her face in close to his. It took him a moment to realize she was trying to kiss him. He pulled away quickly with wide eyes.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I thought..." Carol trailed off, looking hurt. “You said you loved me.”

Daryl nodded, still reeling from what had almost occurred. The thought of actually kissing her filled him with stereotypical butterflies. But he didn’t want it like this. Not when he knew she was only doing it for his benefit.

"I do, but I don’t need that. I told you I loved you to give you a reason to live. I ain’t never gonna ask for more than that,” he said, trying to make his feelings clear. “I just need you to live. You won’t be doing me no favours by throwing yourself at me when I know you don’t really want it.”

Carol blinked at the tears that had spilled over. She took a step towards him, making him take another back. She frowned at the action.

"But I do,” she said frantically. “Want it, I mean.”

Daryl gave her a sceptical look. She can’t mean that. She was trying to placate him or something. There was no way she could want him. Carol gave him a sad look.

“I love you too,” she told him. She laughed shakily. “Always have."

Daryl searched her face. She looked sincere but Carol was an amazing liar. Still, she had never employed her tricks on him before. He wanted to believe her so badly but part of him still resisted.

"You mean that?" he asked in a small voice, scrutinizing her.

Carol nodded straight away. She took another step towards him and this time, he stayed put. She raised her hand and she placed it on his cheek gently. She lifted her lips a little as she looked at him.

“I do. I love you, Daryl. I swear.”

Daryl stared at her, feeling stumped on how to respond. No one had ever told him they loved him before. The only person he could remember hearing the words from was his Ma when he was a kid. He certainly had never had any girlfriend or anything like that. In this moment, he didn’t feel anything at all like the fifty year old man he was. He felt like he was back to being that awkward as fuck, gangly teenager that used to follow Merle around.

“I don’t know what to do now,” Daryl confessed with shame.

Carol hushed him.

“You don’t have to do anything,” she said comfortingly. “But if you wanted to, you could kiss me,” she invited. There was no teasing in her voice at all.

“Never kissed anyone before,” he told her with a wince. He knew she probably suspected how inexperienced he must be but it was still embarrassing to tell her.

“That’s okay,” she said immediately. She stroked her thumb over his cheekbone. “If you want, I could kiss you?” she offered.

Daryl’s mouth went dry at the thought but he hastily nodded. Carol smiled softly before leaning in. She brought her lips to his and he sighed at how soft hers were. She kissed him softly and chastely, hardly doing anything at all but he was already trembling. She pulled away all too soon and he found himself missing her attentions. Her eyes roamed his face carefully.

“Was that okay?” she asked, brushing some hair back from his face.

Daryl nodded quickly, not knowing if he could talk right now.

“Are you sure?” she continued, looking a little worried. “You’re shaking,” she pointed out.

Daryl gave her a smile to reassure her.

“I’m good. Just… I don’t know. Overwhelmed I guess,” he told her, making his voice work. “Never thought you could feel this way ‘bout me.”

Carol smiled.

“I never thought you could feel like that about me either.”

Daryl could feel the heaviness of all the unspoken feelings and moments over the years creeping up and he didn’t want it to go there yet. He wanted to keep this light feeling. So, he decided to try to make a joke.

“Better late than never, right?” he quipped.

Carol snorted.

“Right,” she agreed before leaning in for another kiss. He accepted it happily.

There would be more to talk about, he knew, but for now, everything felt like it was falling into place.

He needed to figure out a way to thank Lydia for her advice.


	7. Bruises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set after JSS in Season 6 (aka the episode where Badass Carol killed all the Wolves).
> 
> Daryl goes to find Carol and stumbles upon her examining some serious-looking bruises on her back in the mirror. Daryl is determined to find out how she got them.
> 
> God, help Morgan when he does...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here is another self indulgent one shot.
> 
> I don't know about you guys, but I was extremely annoyed by the fact that Morgan didn't get called out for body slamming Carol. So this is my form of vengeance, I guess, 'cause I hate seeing Carol hurt like that.
> 
> I might do another part for this but it might be a while until it goes up. I'm trying to focus on my main story at the moment, Back To The Past. You never though, inspiration might strike and it could be up tomorrow. We'll see.
> 
> Hope you like this.

Daryl climbed the stairs. Rick had asked him to tell Carol that he wanted to speak to her. He didn’t mention why but Daryl figured it had something to do with the secret meetings the three of them had been having outside the gates. He approached her door and knocked a few times but received no response. The door was ajar, so he inched it open. He poked his head in, all the while hoping she was dressed.

“Carol?” he called as he peered around.

He spotted her quickly, standing in front of the mirror with her back to it. She had been holding her shirt up high on her back, but she tugged it down quickly and spun to face him. But she wasn’t quick enough to hide the deep purple bruises that covered the expanse of her lower back.

‘What the fuck?’ he thought to himself. ‘Where the hell had those come from?’

“Daryl,” she said a little breathlessly with wide eyes.

“Hey, uh, sorry for barging in. Rick wanted me to find you,” Daryl told her in a vague tone.

His attention was still taken by what he had seen. She had never mentioned anything about being injured. Carol nodded and gave him a little smile, recovering quickly from her shock.

“Thanks, I’ll head down in a minute.”

When he made no sign of leaving, Carol gave him an odd look.

“Was there something else?” she asked expectantly.

Daryl chewed his lip. She clearly wanted to hide it, but he couldn’t help his concern.

“What happened?” he asked.

Carol furrowed her brow as if his question didn’t make sense. He knew it was just a front, though. She had seen him looking at those bruises.

“What do you mean?”

“You know I saw ‘em,” he said with a huff. “What the hell happened?”

Carol sighed, crossing her arms.

“Nothing. I just got bumped around a lot during the fight. It looks worse than it is.”

Daryl knew she was lying. There was no way you got bruises like that from being ‘bumped around’. Not unless ‘bumped around’ was code for beat the fuck up. But why wouldn’t she tell the truth?

“You sure?” he asked, giving her a chance to confess.

Carol gave a huff of annoyance.

“I’m sure. Go tell Rick I’ll be down soon.”

Daryl shook his head.

“Forget Rick,” he growled. “ You need to get some ice on that. Stay here, I’ll be back.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but he was already moving to the door. He wouldn’t give her a chance to argue it. He headed downstairs, seeing Rick in the living room. He looked at Daryl expectantly.

“Carol ain’t feelin’ well,” he lied easily. “Can it wait ‘til tomorrow?”

Rick looked a little disappointed, but he nodded.

“That’s fine. Hope she feels better.”

With that, he left the house to do whatever the hell Rick did these days. Daryl went to the kitchen and grabbed an ice pack from the freezer. He headed back upstairs with the pack in hand.

Carol was sitting on the bed when he entered her room again. He had worried she might have locked her door while he was gone. He sat next to her gingerly on the bed. He hadn’t been in her room before, and it seemed so clean and orderly, making him feel out of place.

“Lift your shirt?” he requested.

She did without protest, and he pressed the ice to her back. She hissed at the contact, and he murmured an apology. He held the pack in place as he watched her. After a moment, she let out a sigh, and she looked relieved.

“That feel okay?” he asked.

She nodded.

“It does. Thank you.”

He dipped his head.

“You’re welcome.”

They sat quietly together for a while. He wanted to question her again, but he knew she wouldn’t confess. She was too stubborn sometimes.

“Look, I gotta do somethin’,” Daryl said, breaking the silence. “You gon’ be okay?”

Carol’s hand came around to hold the ice against herself. He pulled his hand away.

“I’ll be fine,” she confirmed with a small smile. “Go do what you need to do.”

Daryl nodded and got up. He took a last look at Carol before leaving the room. He needed answers. Something had happened while he was outside the gates. He had heard from the others how Carol had almost single-handedly taken out the men who had invaded the town, but something was missing. There must be a reason she wasn’t being forthcoming about those bruises, and he was determined to find out why.

He moved through Alexandria quickly. There were a few people that he knew might have answers for him. Eugene, Rosita and Morgan had been among those who had stayed behind. Whichever one he found first, he would interrogate before moving on to the next.

It’s Rosita that he spotted first. She was sitting on the porch of one of the houses, sharpening a knife. He approached her, seeing her give him a look of confusion. He understood it. It wasn’t like him to just come up and talk to her.

“Gotta ask you something,” he said.

She raised a brow but inclined her head. She set the whetstone down along with the knife.

“Go ahead,” she replied.

“The hell happened when we were gone?”

Rosita’s brow furrowed.

“You know what happened. Bunch of assholes showed up, and we killed them.”

He glared at her for her flippant and slightly sarcastic tone. He knew his question had been vague, but surely, she knew what he was talking about.

“Don’t be a smartass,” he growled. “You know what I’m talkin’ about. What happened with Carol?”

Rosita sighed, and a look of frustration crossed her face. She threw her hands up.

“Look, it’s not my place. Carol made it clear she didn’t want anyone to know. Take it up with her.”

Daryl huffed. Of course, she had told the others not to say anything. At least that was confirmation that there was something to tell.

"She won't tell me. I saw her back. It's covered in bruises, and she won't say where they come from," Daryl said, feeling his stomach knot at the memory of those bruises. They brought back a lot of awful memories for him.

Rosita eyed him silently for a while. A myriad of expressions passed over her face before she settled on frustration again.

“It was Morgan,” she confessed finally, shaking her head. “I wanted to tell Rick straight away. That idiot could have gotten us all killed.”

Daryl frowned and felt his hackles raising. Morgan was the last person he would have suspected of being responsible.

“What do you mean ‘it was Morgan’?” he asked, needing more context.

Rosita huffed and crossed her arms.

“The guy found one of those W’s and brought him in. He was trying to rehabilitate him or something crazy like that. Carol found out and tried to kill the guy. Morgan fought her.”

This was getting worse the more he heard. What the hell was wrong with Morgan? Fighting Carol to protect some guy who had tried to kill them? Then he remembered the weird crap he’d spouted after he had saved him and Aaron. ‘All life is precious’, he had said.

“I didn’t know she got bruised up like that, but it makes sense,” Rosita continued with concern. “Morgan body-slammed her into the ground and knocked her out cold.”

Rage pulsed in his veins at the images her words brought on. They repeated like a mantra in his head: Morgan body-slammed her into the ground. Fuck this, he thought to himself. No way was he gonna let that shit fly. He didn’t even bother to thank Rosita for her confession before storming away.

He didn’t know where to find Morgan, but he figured he would encounter him soon enough. He stomped through the streets of Alexandria. He passed people along his way, who sent him nervous looks, but he ignored them. He had tunnel vision at the moment. The only thing that mattered was finding Morgan and letting him know how big of a fucking mistake it was to hurt Carol.

It didn’t take him as long as he had thought it would to find the man. He was standing with Rick and a few other men from Alexandria that Daryl didn’t know the names of. They were discussing something, but Daryl was too far away to hear what the conversation was about. He didn’t give a shit anyway.

He sped up his pace, the fury rising inside of him. He stormed right up to the small group. Rick was the first to notice him. His friend's mouth opened, and there was a kind look on his face, which morphed into worry when he obviously noticed Daryl's demeanour. Daryl ignored him, shoving him away so he could strike out with his fist into Morgan's face.  
Morgan fell to the ground with a noise of surprise. Daryl heard a few shouts from the others, but he paid them no mind. He dropped to the ground over Morgan and brought his fist down on him again. Morgan brought his hands up to try to push him away, but Daryl easily overpowered him.

“Daryl, what—“ Morgan sputtered, looking confused.

He didn’t even know, Daryl thought incredulously. He had no idea why he was receiving this beating. That made Daryl even angrier. He growled and rained down blow after blow on the man. He managed to get in a few good hits before he felt arms closing around his. He struggled against them, trying to reach for Morgan, but they managed to drag him away from the man.

“Daryl, hey, Daryl,” he heard Rick’s voice say as he continued to struggle. “Daryl stop!” Rick’s voice rose finally.

But Daryl couldn’t stop. He could still see Morgan on the ground, not even attempting to lift himself up. There were blood and bruises on his face, Daryl noted with satisfaction. But it wasn’t enough. He shoved against Rick, trying to get to Morgan again. Rick’s arms tightened around him.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Rick asked in a half yell.

Daryl didn’t take his eyes off of Morgan as he spoke.

“Asshole knows what he did,” Daryl growled.

“What did he do?” Rick asked in a calmer tone.

“He fucking beat Carol!” Daryl snarled, feeling his rage renew as her bruises sprang to mind once more. “He had one of them W’s here, tried to protect him. Carol tried to kill him, so he slammed her into the ground!”

Morgan had sat up now, and Daryl could see the recognition in his eyes, along with guilt. ‘Yeah, you should feel guilty, you bastard,’ Daryl thought with disgust.

“I… I didn’t mean to hurt her…” Morgan muttered. It looked like he was talking to himself more than anyone else. “I just… All life is precious.”

Daryl rolled his eyes at the statement. It made his blood boil. He made another attempt to push Rick away, but his friend, in turn, pushed him in the other direction, finally releasing him. Daryl glanced at him and saw the warning look Rick was levelling to him.

“This is done,” Rick said in that ‘Cop’ voice. “You go cool off. I’ll deal with this.”

Daryl glared, still not willing to let it go. Rick apparently saw that because he continued.

“Hey,” Rick said with a meaningful look. “I’m not going to just let this go, okay?”

Daryl looked over his shoulder at Morgan who looked only half there right now. All Daryl wanted was to kill the man. No one should be allowed to hurt Carol and get away with it. But he knew Rick and knew there was no way he would let it happen. He cared too much for Morgan for some reason. The reassurance that he wouldn’t ‘let this go’ meant nothing to Daryl. Rick certainly wasn’t going to punish Morgan. He would likely just talk to the man. Still, there was nothing more he could do right now.

He backed off and saw the relief settle in Rick’s eyes. Daryl turned and started to move away from the scene but paused after only taking a few steps. He whirled around, eyes narrowing at Morgan. The man looked a little more like himself now, and he gazed back at Daryl with a strange expression.

“You touch her again, I’ll fuckin’ kill you,” Daryl vowed darkly. “Not even he would be able to save you then.”

Knowing he needed to get out of there before he followed through with the threat right now, he turned again and stomped away. His hands were clenched into fists, and he could feel his blunt nails digging into his palms. The pain that accompanied it and the pain in his knuckles helped relieve some of the tension inside him at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go. Angry Daryl is weirdly fun to write.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know if you did.


End file.
